Did you know that your gut microbiome consists of an enormous colony of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in your large intestine?
It is basically an organ in its own right!
Over the years scientists have discovered that it heavily influences much of your health, and plays a major role in your immune system function.
The good bacteria in your digestive tract can help protect you from harmful bacteria and fungi. They also send signals to your immune system and help regulate inflammation.
When your microbiome is strong, the positive strains of bacteria are able to overcome and overpower many foreign pathogenic invaders. They take care of this on your behalf and are constantly working behind the scenes to help your immune system thrive. Help you thrive!
How to keep your gut happy and your immune system strong
There are many ways you can maintain the right balance of beneficial bacteria. It typically takes a multi-pronged approach that involves eating a diverse, high-fibre diet, including colourful foods that are rich in polyphenols, and enjoying fermented foods, like yogurt, regularly.
This strategy makes sure that you're feeding the beneficial bacteria as well as consuming foods that supply them.
Why my kids are obsessed with probiotic foods
My kids are going through a current phase where they want probiotic-rich foods like my miso soup or salmon every night for dinner, and yoghurt daily for either breakfast or supper, or both.
This is great news, as probiotics encourage the presence of "friendly" bacteria and can even help correct bacterial imbalance.
Yoghurt: the probiotic powerhouse
Yoghurt is a great source of probiotics, especially if you go for the natural full-fat and no sugar variety, like Greek yoghurt. Look for the phrase "live and active cultures" as these stimulate your immune system and help fight diseases. They're a good source of vitamin D too.
You can serve them with berries if you like the sweetness. Not only will this naturally boost your probiotic and gut microbiome levels, it boosts serotonin levels to help with your mood too.
Fermented vegetables: an acquired taste worth developing
Fermented vegetables are a great source of good bacteria that support a healthy gut and immune system. Fermented vegetables also optimise the nutritional content by making the nutrients easier to absorb.
Fermented veggies can be an acquired taste. Start by putting it in the middle of the dinner table, and encouraging the family to take a tsp. with their meals. The more your kids are exposed to a new food, the more familiar it becomes and the more comfortable they are with it.
There are so many different kinds of fermented food, so even if kimchi is not yet a staple household item, there's plenty of others to try!
Fermented foods our family actually enjoys
- Yogurt
- Kefir (dairy, coconut, water)
- Kombucha
- Sour pickles
- Sauerkraut
- Wakame
- Real pickles & pickled vegetables
- Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- Miso
- Tempeh
- Kimchi
My daughter can be fussy at times, however she enjoys a sour pickle and will eat fermented carrot instead of sauerkraut. What I can always count on is the kids eating miso and I incorporate this fermented food into my meals at least once a week, if not twice.
In fact one of their absolute favourite dishes (included in my 30-Day Mojo Detox), the Miso Salmon and Greens, is requested on a weekly basis and there is huge disappointment when I don't serve it. They also love my miso noodle soup which includes wakame, a prebiotic rich food also good for the gut.
The science behind fermented foods and immune health
"Lactic acid bacteria and fermentation metabolites in kimchi inhibit the growth of influenza virus … Lactobacillus plantarum, which is produced in large quantities during the fermentation of kimchi, and its sub-ingredients such as green onion and ginger are thought to hinder the growth of influenza virus. We concluded that bioactive compounds from lactic acid bacteria produced by kimchi fermentation serve as antiviral agents … Our study is the world's first that scientifically verified kimchi's effectiveness against influenza viruses such as swine flu and AI (avian influenza) viruses."
— Researchers from the Korea Food Research Institute and the World Institute of Kimchi
I'd love to hear what fermented foods you and your kids enjoy, or will try next!
